Container and method of sealing



y 1936. cs. CLARK CONTAINER AND METHOD OF SEALING Original Filed May 15,1931 INVENTOR Grover- C/arK BY $3 An NEYS.

Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13, 1931. Serial No.46,386

This application October 23, 1935,

7 Claims. (Cl. 99-181) This invention relates in general to improvementsin containers in which perishable products may be easily and rapidlysealed.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a novel form ofcontainer of any suitable shape, including a cover therefor, which maybe hermetically sealed and securely held in place without the use ofclamps, strips or rings of rubber or similar material, or any other spe-1'0 cial devices or materials except the sealing material to bedescribed later.

A further object of this invention is the provision in a structure ofthis type of an arrangement whereby the finished container has a partialvacuum therein by reason of which the cover is held firmly in place bymeans of atmospheric pressure.

A still further object of this invention involves the use with such acontainer of a suitable sealing compound.

A still further object of this invention is to construct the containerand cover so that the sealing compound hermetically seals the jointbetween the cover and container both on the outside of the cover and onthe inside of the cover where exposed to the interior of the container.

A further object of this invention involves a novel process of sealingmaterial into such a container.

Other objects of this invention, such as simplicity of construction,ruggedness, cheapness of manufacture, and the like, will be clearlyapparent from the following disclosure.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction,arrangement, relative location of parts, steps, and series of steps, allas will be set forth in greater detail hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional viewthrough one form of container comprising this invention Fig. 2 is atopplan view of this form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a modified form ofcontainer; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of a modified form of cover foruse with either container.

The invention will be more readily understood by detail reference to thedrawing. The body I of the container is made of any suitable size,

shape, and material. It may have any crosssectional form and may be madeof such materials, as glass, clay, pottery, porcelain, metal, and thelike. The most important feature is that the main body of the container,particularly sist of a series of projections, or have any other form forsupporting the cover at a suitable point.

As shown in Fig. 1, the ledge 2 is placed suifil0 ciently far downwithin the container so that other containers may be set on the top, asindicated in dotted lines, for stacking purposes. Of course the partsmay be proportioned so that the bottom of one container will snugly fitinto the 15 top of the other.

The cover as shown at 3 and in the form in Fig. 1 has a centraldepression in which the handle 4 for the cover is provided. The lowersurface of the cover is convex, as indicated at 5. The 20 circumferenceof the cover is provided in the form shown in Fig. l with two beveledportions 1 and l. The general direction of these two beveled portions isinwardly from the edge. The cover is shown provided with a passage 6 ex-25 tending all the way through and terminating in the bevel 1. Ifdesired more than one of these passages may be provided.

In the modified container II of Fig. 3 no internal ledge or abutmentsare provided but the 30 container is so shaped that the sides themselveswill support the cover at the proper point as shown. In this case thecover I 2 is provided with a single beveled edge IS, a convex undersurface and a projecting handle l3. The passage l4 ex- 35 tends entirelythrough the cover and terminates on the top surface thereof as shown.The modified cover 3| of Fig. 4, which of course may be used with eitherform of container, is provided with a central recess in which the handle32 40 is situated and has a convex lower surface 33. This gives theentire under surface 30 of the cover a spherical shape. In this case thepassage 34 extends through the cover into the recess in which the handlelies. In the preferred form 45 this opening 34 would be exposed in therecess at the lowest point thereof.

The shapes of cover and container, position of passage, shape of bevelededge of cover, etc., mentioned above may be combined in any way. 50 Thefollowing are the general requirements for the formation of thecontainer and cover: (1) the container may be round, oval, rectangularor any other shape; (2) the sides of the container may slope inwardly oroutwardly or rise straight 55 be of such a form as to fit thatcontainer, and I (b) the covermust have a convex under surface, abeveled edge with the bevel sloping toward the center of the cover and ahole, slot or other passage from the top through to the bottom; (5) theI bevel on the edge of the cover may be at any convenient angle; (6) thepassage through thecover may be at any convenient distance from the edgeof the cover and may be of any convenient size or shape except that itmay notbe so large that the solidified sealing material in it (themethod,

for filling this passage with solidified sealing material is describedbelow) will be drawn down into the container whenthe vacuum is formed inthe container (by theprocess described below). The sealingmaterialshould havethe physical characteristics of ,liquefying at atemperature lower than that of boiling water and solidifying at, atemperature higher than ordinary air temperatures. In addition, itshould be of such a nature as to expand slightly upon solidification. Ithas been found that parafiin is a suitable example of such a sealingmaterial. In sealing such a' container the material to be sealed in thecontainer, which is indicated generally at Ii) in Fig. 1 and H in Fig.3, is poured into the container preferably in a heated condition so asto fill the container to the point at which the cover rests. Moreaccurately the upper surface of the material should be at such a pointthat when the cover is put in place it dips into thematerial and forcesit up around the curved surface but before the cover is put in place itis preferable to shake or stir the material to remove as much of the airas possible. When the cover is put in place the convex under surfacethereof forces a small portion of the material upwardly so as to coverthe entire lower surface of thecover and expel the remaining air in thecontainer. The sealing material, heated to a liquid condition, isindicated at 8 and 8 in Fig. 1. It is poured into the annular recessformed by the beveled edge of the cover, or onto the cover so that itruns into this annular recess and into the passage through the cover,filling the annular recess and the passage 6.

No special care is necessary in pouring the sealing material, exceptthat enough of the sealing material should be used to allow for thedrawing down of the sealing material into the container'during thecooling process (as described below) and for a remainder suificientsubstantially to fill the annular recess and the passage 6. Thecontainer,"with cover and sealing material in place then is set aside tocool.

As the material in the container cools, it decreases in volume with theresult that its surface falls; The heat of the contents of thecontainer, directly and transmitted through the sides of the containerand the cover, keeps the sealing ma- .terial in a liquid state for atime so that the sealing material passes downward without difficultythrough the passage 6 in the cover and around the edges of the cover,following the surface ofthe contents of the container as this surfacefalls. As the sealing material in a liquid state passes through thepassage 6 and around the. edges. of the cover, it fills all the minorirregularities or holes which otherw se m g created by the beveled edgeof the cover and the passage 6 In this position, the sealing material 7solidifies when the proper temperature is reached in' the coolingprocess. .The solidified sealing material completely surrounds the edgesof the cover, substantiallyfills the passage 6, and forms a layer underall or practically all of the under surface of the cover, as indicatedin B 8 and B' in Fig. 1 and I4 and I6 in Fig. 3. The sealing material asit solidifies expands slightly, insuring the closing of all possibleorifices and providing a hermetic seal. The solidified sealing materialin the passage (6 in Fig. 1 and i l in Fig. 3 providesanreifective'plugfor this passage. After under the cover and fills boththe annular recess 1 the sealing material has solidified, the furthercooling of the contents of the container, down to normal airtemperature, causes further contraction thereof so that when thecontents of the container are fully cooled, a small space (H in Fig. 1and 18in Fig. 2) remainsbetween the upper surface of the contents of thecontainer and the under surface of the sealing material and cover. Sinceno air can pass the solidified sealing material, the result'is theformation of a vacuum in the container so that atmospheric pressure actsto hold the cover'in'place." The pressure of the sealing materialagainst the sides of the container and the cover, due to its extheannular groove to supply'the portion 8"'with in the container. r I

In the arrangement of Fig. 3, or in using a' cover of the type indicatedin Fig. 4, the method of filling and sealing is substantially the same.

In both cases the sealing compound is poured over the surface of thecover so as" to submerge the upper'end of the passage through the cover(M in Fig. 3 and 34 in Fig. 4) and. to fill the annular recessbetweenthe beveled edge of the cover and the sides of the container.If,'desired,

the cover, in the form indicated in Fig. 3, may be givenaslightlysloping surface from the center outward towards the edge sothat thesealing Inaterial willbe sure to run to the sides.

This container may also be used for canning and preserving coldmaterials. The procedure is substantially the same except that the'material is filled into the container to a slightly lower level so thatthe sealing compound may be poured into the container through thepassage the cover is not held in place sofirmly'as when the contents ofthe jar are sealed while hot so that a vacuum is produced, butnevertheless it has beenfoundthatit is held sufficiently firm so as toprevent it becommgloose, In this case also it is well to expel as muchof the air-aspossible by stirring and agitation before putting the coverin place.

The materials may be filled into the containers in a cold state andeither uncooked or partially cooked, and then be completely cooked inthe containers which would then be sealed while hot by the methoddisclosed. It is also within this invention to place the materialcompletely cooked, although cool, into the containers and then heat itbefore cooling.

In view of the above disclosure it will be apparent that this inventionresides in certain principles of construction and operation which maytake other physical forms and be carried out in other ways withoutdeparture from these principles. I do not, therefore, desire to bestrictly limited to the disclosure as given for purposes ofillustration, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

This application is a substitute for my application, Serial No. 537,077,filed May 13, 1931.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is: r

1. An article as described comprising a container adapted to storematerials, a closure for said container, means on the interior of thecontainer for supporting the closure within the container and below theupper edge thereof, and a sealing compound enclosing the point ofcontact between the closure and container on both sides thereof.

2. An article of the type described comprising a container into whichheated materials are to be placed, a closure for said container having aconvex under surface and a beveled edge, said closure being supportedbelow the upper edge of the container and having a passage therethrough,and a sealing compound on the groove formed between the container andthe beveled edge thereof and in the passage and covering the undersurface of the closure.

3. The method of sealing a container comprising a receptacle and aclosure therefor having a beveled edge and a passage therethroughintersecting the beveled edge comprising filling the receptacle with thematerial to be sealed therein in heated condition to a predeterminedlevel, placing the closure on the container so as to effect contacttherebetween with the entire surf-ace of the material, pouring a heatedsealing compound into the groove formed between the container and thebeveled edge of the closure and permitting the sealing compound to passthrough the passage in the closure and past the edges of the closure tocoat the entire under surface of the closure as the contents of thecontainer cools.

4. The method of sealing a container comprising a receptacle and aclosure therefor having a beveled edge and a passage therethroughintersecting the beveled edge comprising filling the receptacle with thematerial to be sealed therein in heated condition to a predeterminedlevel, placing the closure on the container so as to effect contacttherebetween with the entire surface of the material, agitating thecontents of the container to expel the air therefrom, pouring a heatedsealing compound into the groove formed between the container and thebeveled edge of the closure and permitting the sealing compound to passthrough the opening in the closure and past the edges of the closure tocoat the entire under surface of the closure as the contents of thecontainer cools.

5. The method of sealing comprising providing a container and a closuretherefor having a convex under surface, a beveled edge and a passageextending therethrough comprising filling material into the container inheated condition, placing the closure in the top of the container sothat its convex surface engages the top of the material and forces it upto contact with the entire under surface of the container, pouring aheated sealing compound into the annular groove between the containerand the beveled edge of the closure to submerge the passagetherethrough, permitting the sealing compound to pass through thepassage and past the edges of the closure to coat the under surface ofthe closure, and cooling the contents of the container and the sealingmaterial to create a vacuum in the container.

6. The method of sealing containers having closures with passagestherethrough, beveled edges and convex under surfaces which comprisesfilling the material to be sealed into a container in a heated conditionand approximately to a predetermined level, securing direct contactbetween the sealing compound and the material so that no air can come incontact with the material after sealing by placing the closure in thetop of the container at such a level that its convex under surfaceengages the top of the material and forces it up to contact with theentire under surface of the container, sealing the container with acompound which is in a liquid state when heated, and by the use of saidcontainers and closures and of the cooling of the contents of thecontainer.

'7. The, method of sealing containers having closures provided withpassages therethrough, convex under surfaces and beveled edges whichcomprises filling the material to be sealed into a container in a heatedcondition approximately to a predetermined level, expelling air from thematerial by agitation, expelling air from inside the container below theunder surface of the closure by placing the closure in the top of thecontainer at such a level that its convex under surface engages the topof the material and forces it up to contact with the entire undersurface of the closure, pouring a heated liquid sealing compound ontothe closure when it is in position, to secure direct contact between thesealing compound and the material and an airtight barrier between theair and the material by permitting the sealing compound to flow throughthe passage in the closure and into the groove between the container andthe beveled edge of the cover until it rests in direct contact with thematerial to be sealed, closing all passages or holes through the coverand filling all irregularities in the adjacent surfaces of the containerand of the closure and forming a coating of the sealing compound aroundthe closure and completely filling all possible spaces or openingsbetween the closure and the sides of the container, said sealingcompound being liquid when hot and solid when cold, and cooling thesealing material to fasten it in position to insure a hermetic seal andto secure the closure firmly in position.

GROVER CLARK.

